Andre The Giant WWE Legends Figure Review (2)

A few weeks ago, Wesitron reviewed the new WWE Legends Andre The Giant figure. Up until that point, I wasn’t 100% sure if I would be purchasing Andre or not. Which is strange when you consider that Andre is my all time favorite wrestler.

Eventually, thanks no doubt in part to Wesitron’s review, I decided to plunk down the $30 or so it cost (with shipping) from MattyCollector.com and get the big man. From the moment I first laid eyes on the giant as a kid, I was enamored with him. His massive size and power made him basically unstoppable. As an impressionable youngster, nothing seemed cooler than Andre the Giant. As time has went on, my appreciation of Andre has grown.

So is Andre worth it, if you’re on the fence about him? The Road to Wrestlemania continues with this exclusive second look at Mattel’s giant-sized Andre! Packaging:

Just in case you didn’t believe Wesitron, yes Virgina, he does come in a mailer box.

Wes hypothesized that Andre’s container was bigger than anyone else’s. Upon first look, I thought Andre had the biggest package around (huh huh) as well. However, with a quick reference check, Andre’s bubble card is the same as everyone else’s. I suppose it just looks bigger because Andre fills a lot more of it.

The back of the box talks about the infamous Wrestlemania III showdown between Hogan and Andre. I guess that’s fitting, but I hate it that Andre’s career has basically been reduced to one match. Andre had a legendary career that saw him tour all over the world and become a household name not only in the USA, but in every major nation on the planet. You’d think there would be more to say…

Sculpt/Paint:

This figure is a bit of a mixed bag. The head sculpt is generally pretty good, but it’s still missing something that truly makes it “Andre”. By 1987, Andre’s head had grown pretty big (physically, not hypothetically) and as a result he had a really large forehead. Almost like a Neanderthal. This figure has a big head, but it’s more jaw than forehead.

And then there’s this beard/stubble thing going on. I have no idea why Mattel added this in as Andre rarely if ever sported any sort of 5 o’clock shadow. He certainly didn’t sport any stubble during his Wrestlemania III match. I’m really surprised more people aren’t upset about this stubble!

The figure is appropriately huge, towering over everyone else in the WWE collection. That’s a great thing in my book and the bigger Andre is, the better. As his mythos has grown, so has his larger than life status in many fan’s minds.

I was suprised to find that Andre does indeed have a new chest. It’s not reused from Dusty Rhodes or the Big Show. That’s a definitely plus. Kudos to Mattel for sculpting some new parts. Underneath he’s just got black trunks on. I would have liked it if Mattel had made his trunks yellow or red or blue, as Andre often wore just trunks when he wrestled in the early 80s. This could have given us two versions of Andre.

I also didn’t have any issues with staining. I don’t know if I just got lucky or what. I’ve heard other folks complain about Andre’s singlet giving the figure stains. I will say that the quality on the cloth singlet isn’t as good as I’d liked. There’s already starting to be a bit of fray on it.

TWO MORE VICTORIES TO GET YOUR TITLE MATCH

Even though the sculpt isn’t perfect, it is nice to have Mattel’s take on Andre the Giant. There are many things that I think could have been improved, such as larger hands or a more accurate face sculpt, but this isn’t a bad Andre by any means.

Articulation:

Although Andre was never the most mobile man around, he was actually a lot more agile than you might expect. In his younger days Andre was able to come off the top rope and even do some dropkicks. As he got older and his health issues greatened, along with weight gain, he didn’t do as much.

Ultimately you shouldn’t have any problem getting Andre into any of his iconic poses and even a few he likely never did. With one exception… The Bearhug! While you can have Andre do a bearhug, he can’t clasp his hands. That’s unfortunate, because other figures like Kozlov can but apparently the big gut of Andre prevents it.

Accessories:This is where I’m going to really beat Mattel up…

Andre comes with a vac-metal version of the classic “winged eagle” WWF title belt. First, don’t all eagles have wings? Secondly, this wasn’t what the WWF World Title looked like back in 1987. However in 1988 when Andre DID win the WWF title, it was this belt. He immediately sold the belt to the Million Dollar Man, in a classic old school angle.

Back then the WWF didn’t recognize Andre’s win, since it was won under controversy when there was an evil twin referee involved and because Andre tried to sell the belt. For what it’s worth, that belt didn’t fit Andre, nor does this one.

Interestingly in the build-up to the 1987 Wrestlemania III match between Hogan and Andre, the WWF made a custom belt for Andre “if he won”. It had a massive 72 inch strap. I would have loved for Mattel to include this belt with the figure.

But even if they didn’t include that, they SHOULD have given us something else. The belt just isn’t enough. Given that this is likely the only Andre they’ll ever give us, why not include an alternate head with bigger sideburns or an afro? Why not include Andre’s iconic blue singlet as well?

Value:At $20 plus shipping, Andre is expensive. These Legends figures are a great deal at $15, but really start to stretch it when you’re paying nearly twice that to have one arrive at your door from MattyCollector. Andre is far from perfect and lacks a lot of accessories. His belt is nice, but other figures also include that belt, making Andre not that special.

Andre gets a decent 7 out of 10. He’s a pretty good Andre, but he’s not perfect. The goofy beard and the lack of accessories, plus the high pricetag puts him just out of reach of perfection. I would have loved this figure to be even better and I’m doubtful we’ll get another Andre.

Andre’s still not a bad figure and with a few minor modifications, he can be pretty awesome. So long as you can get past the high pricetag and the lack of accessories, he’s a worthy pick up. I love Andre, so I’m glad I decided to part with my dollars and snag him.

While I'm not really a big wrestling fan, I AM a big Andre fan, and was looking forward to this figure. Sadly, it is a complete fail for me. Andre had such a great, distinctive face, that I would think that capturing his likeness in plastic would be easy (Maybe, though, I just don't know enough about toy manufacturing). It looks like they barely tried on this one. I also agree with you Newt: WHAT is up with that crappy five o'clock shadow?!

Maybe someday, some company will put out a line of "Princess Bride" figures, and I can get the Andre I want. (That sounds wrong.)

Nice review! It's always great to hear what other folks have to say about the figures, especially one as educated as you are on the subject. More accessories would be awesome, another head for sure but I hadn't even thought of another singlet. The stubble on mine doesn't look quite as bad in person as it does in pictures, but it still leaves you with a bit of a WTF feeling.

I didn't think 20 bucks was a bad price considering his size, but Mattycollector being the only avenue to obtain him makes that 30-buck pricetag sting. I really wish these could have continued at retail for 15. At 20, I'm not sure there's another wrestler they've yet announced that I'll jump on. 🙁

I'm in for DDP, as I'm a big fan of him, but the rest of the lineup I'm not sure on.

The singlet thing seems like a no brainer to me. If they'd included his blue singlet and then made perhaps his inner trunks painted yellow or red, you could have (at least in theory) had THREE versions of Andre. Given that they're likely never going to make another Andre, that would have shown that they were trying to make this Legends line a bit more.

I did finally find some footage of Andre with stubble, but it still doesn't look like the figure, really. I had an article coming a few days on how to fix him though!

And I blame you for convincing me to get this guy. Once you posted up your review I started realizing how much I loved Andre… And even if I didn't like everything about the figure, I had to support Pimpmaster A.

Yea, DDP for me, maybe a Karl Malone? Kidding. But I've been very vocal that an Arn Anderson figure as a stand alone is not the smartest idea to keep a line alive. I don't want every agent that works in WWE currently to get a figure. They need to get more aggressive about getting Legends, like Jakks. Though, getting a Randy Savage figure kind of made the entire line worth it. And there are currently four! But getting just Arn and Tully is frustrating… Mattel hates completing teams so much. Or maybe I'm more angry that fans voted for freaking King Kong Bundy over Barry Windham to not make this Four Horsemen thing happen (no, I'm not in the Ole Anderson camp). I mean, how about doing the TRU deal as Ric, Tully, Arn, and Windham with a BAF J.J. Dillon? Durp guys, durp. But I'll buy Miss Elizabeth, and Tully…probably Arn…but it still PISSES ME OFF YOU SEE!
The stubble bothers me on this figure still, and his arms are still too small. The removable tights are appealing as well… I just realized that I seriously typed that sentence out…sorry. But I hope you know what I mean (being able to take the top part off for the eventual Jerry Lawler).
Maybe I'll do a Windham mod as a nod to your Hogan. Dusty boots, Austin body, and of course JAkks head and vest. Maybe…
Nonetheless, great review. I'll probably get this figure eventually…

I may still end up buying Arn and Tully, but I'm on the fence. Arn just looks like crap. Maybe Tully will look better, because the Jakks Tully has a gigantic head. I'd love a new Flair, and they actually have the rights to Flair, but won't make him because he's in TNA. Which is a huge screw job to everyone, because Jakks can't make Flair for the TNA line. So nobody gets any Flair.

I've got a Flair that I like anyway. I can live with it for now. But I'd totally be down for a 4 Horsemen set at TRU with JJ. That'd be sweet.

And yeah, we've got 4 Machos and not a damn one is the one I want! He desperately needs a new head sculpt too.

My main issue with their Legends line is that they've done nothing to bump up their value now that they're exclusive. I'm not expecting the world, but if they added in just a few little things here or there, it would make the value better.

See, it's always some petty deal in WWE, and the consumer is screwed. Why this is something we accept, I'll never know. But it continues to go on. "Nobody gets any Flair" is one of the funniest/saddest things I've ever read.

That 4 horsemen set would do GANGBUSTERS in the south…Don't They See! I wonder if Texas could ever keep any of the Von Erichs in stock.

Which Macho are you looking for? Mania 3 and a huge robe? Mania 8? Summer Slam 92? Ultimate Maniacs 2 pack? But a new sculpt would be nice. But I do love the the hair holds his glasses, that's a neat touch.

I would think adding an accessory or 2 wouldn't hurt this line. Maybe some kind of vintage item like a poster or a wearable accessory like a wristband? I agree, the value for a near $30 (shipping) legend at this point is extremely low. So they better step up.

I want a macho in one of his crazy long pants, with a shirt and jacket outfits. I know they gave us the Mania one, but that was literally like the most tame version he ever wore. I want one like he would wear a in a Slim Jim commerical or for like the the 2nd half of his career. I'm not too picky, just needs to be multicolored and the shirt should be removable.

I don't follow wrestling……well actually I don't like wrestling, never have. That being said, would you please stop making me want to buy some of these figures. Andre in particular is very tempting, but darn it I don't want to deal with mattycollector anymore.